Vernita gave birth to Oprah at the age of 14, shortly after meeting Oprah’s father, Vernon Winfrey. But she subsequently moved to Milwaukee to become a maid, meaning the American icon was raised by her grandmother.

he duo had a distant relationship until later in Oprah’s life, and they eventually appeared together on Oprah’s eponymous talk show in 1990.

Meanwhile, Vernita’s son Jeffrey Lee passed away in 1989, while her third daughter, Patricia Lee Lloyd, died in 2003.

During a TV interview, Vernita revealed how her faith in God helped her through the death of her two children.

She shared: “I’m a Christian lady, and if you’re a Christian person, it helps you to deal with situations like that.”

Vernita also spoke of how proud she was of Oprah, who has stayed away from social media since her mother’s passing.